Young Australian actorSam Rechnerhas just been cast as a classmate of a youngSteven Spielbergin thedirector’s autobiographical film. The film, which will be Spielberg’s follow-up to this year’sWest Side Story, was given the titleThe Fabelmanslast month. Rechner joins a star-studded cast that includesMichelle Williams,Seth Rogen,Paul Dano,Julia Butters,andGabriel Labelle.The Fabelmansis loosely based on the upbringing of Spielberg in Arizona.
The Fabelmanswill be Rechner’s second acting role in a film. His first film role is in the upcoming Australian drama,Ruby’s Choice, starringJane Seymour. To be directed by film royalty like Spielberg for a second role may be jarring, but it also has to be a dream come true as well. Rechner also has theater credits, including starring in productions of “Animal Farm” and “12 Angry Men.” Williams and Dano are set to play the mother and father of Spielberg, while Rogen will play one of the director’s favorite uncles growing up. Gabriel LaBelle was cast to play young Spielberg at the end of last month.
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Spielberg co-wrote the script withTony Kushner, who has been the sole writer of many Spielberg projects includingLincolnandMunich.This is the first time Spielberg has written the script for a project he was directing since2001’sA.I. Artificial Intelligence. Spielberg is a great writer, even though he’s only written the screenplay for three other movies, which areFirelight,Close Encounters of the Third Kind, andPoltergeist. The fact that the first script the director helped write in 20 years is an autobiographical tale makes it all the more exciting, since he’s writing something so close to his heart.
Spielberg is a producer on the film, alongside Kushner andKristie Macosko Krieger, who also produced the director’s filmsThe Post,Ready Player One, and the upcomingWest Side Story. Spielberg completed filming onWest Side Storyin 2019, and that film was slated to be released in December of 2020, before being delayed a full year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the way things are moving now, it wouldn’t be surprising if filming onThe Fableman’sis fully wrapped by the timeWest Side Storyis actually released.
Filming onThe Fabelmansis set to begin this July around the Los Angeles area, and no release date has been announced yet for the autobiographical film.
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